Creating momentum – first think, then ACT

Turn the ideas and knowledge into tangible actions

 

Many people (including myself) have the tendency to over-think and over-analyse before taking action. We have the necessary knowledge and experience to take us to the next step but still feel unable to take action.

Planning ahead helps reduce the sense of anxiety we face when we have too many choices, too many options, or there is a lot riding on the results. When we start thinking that we don’t know enough to make a decision, we actually know everything we need to do to take action. Not knowing enough, not being good enough, not being in the right time or place in our lives, are all excuses our inner voice comes up with when we don’t take action.

We all know that when we go out there and “just do it”, good things happen. The more we take action, the more we see the momentum build. We feel a sense of achievement, satisfaction and much pleasure.  Our self-confidence and self-esteem are bolstered and of course, we see the results in our business’ growth and revenue flow.

As my work looks at helping business owners & managers achieve business growth, progress projects, support high performance, and reach a healthy work-life balance, I speak with knowledge, experience, and understanding. Like many others this month, I’ve made a very conscious effort to maintain a good work-life balance during the school holiday periods. It’s highlighted to me that if I want to continue my own momentum, I need to “work smart”, with laser focus, but also with humour and flexibility.

For the most part, I make decisions quickly but at times, I need to work more on implementing the steps to move forward. I realise that ideas in my head, or in my notebook or whiteboard, are no good to anyone else if they don’t know about them. The time spent on my CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and business research will just be wasted time if I don’t share it with my community.

Knowing this, I’ve been actively working on systems, processes, and performance tools highlighted in my newsletter that will help me spend less time on the “thinking” stage so I can use my time more for the “taking action” stage. Some of these processes I’m working on are subtle changes or adaptations while others require a little bit more thought and preparation. I’ve spent August, reflecting, brain-storming ideas and resting so that I’m geared up and recharged for the remaining months of 2011.

In short, I’ve accepted that my knowledge and expertise won’t help pay my bills or raise money for my charitable goals if I don’t share them and turn them into something tangible. So to help grow my business to its next stage, my content creation schedule and workshop & events schedule are being updated. I’m going to meet my 2011 goals and maintain momentum by continuing to spend more time in the “taking action” zone.

In future posts and in the newsletter, I’ll discuss the impact these tools and approaches have had on my performance, efficiency and work-life balance. In the meantime, it’s back to the whiteboard and turning my mind-maps into something that resembles action…